Carrying a Secret
by Leprechaun's Fairy
Summary: When the results of a tryst send Hermione into a tailspin she escapes into the Muggle world. What exactly happened and what will it take to get her to return to her magic and her friends?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I have finally returned! And with a Hermione/George story which I think is one of my all time favorite pairings. I know the idea of this story has been done but I hope I have an original spin on it. Some romance, some drama, etc. And I hope you enjoy! Here's the first chapter and as always I may love these characters but I do not own them!**

* * *

**Conception**

Hermione took a deep breath and knocked on the door to the twins' room. Even though a week had passed since Fred had died in the Battle at Hogwarts she still couldn't bring herself to think of it as just George's room.

"I know that you don't want to come out George but you really should. It'll be hard but I think your family would feel better if they saw you at the services," she called.

The door slammed open and George appeared, looking like he hadn't bathed since the day after the battle when Arthur had forcibly pushed him under the showerhead, clothes and all. "Why'd they send you up here? You weren't even here for Fred's funeral."

Hermione's sympathy quelled and her anger flared at his tone. "I wanted to be here. I just planned on going to Australia, restoring my parent's memories and returning by the time of the services. What I didn't plan on was needing to identity their bodies and plan their funerals."

George's stoic facade faded for a moment but just for a moment. "I didn't know your parents had died," he admitted though he did not apologize or offer condolences.

She pushed past him and into the room, wrinkling her nose when she saw the state it was in. No wonder he looked so unclean, his room was a disaster. "I told Harry and Ron about it through the Floo the day I found out. They must have decided not to tell you."

"Nah, I'm sure that was mum's idea. She thinks I'm too fragile for any real news, especially the emotional sort," he said as he threw himself onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling instead of looking at Hermione.

"Are you? Too fragile I mean," Hermione asked as she carefully paced around the piles of dirty clothes and discarded Weasley Wizard Wheezes products. She could have conjured herself a seat but she felt too tired for magic and the only other place to sit was Fred's bed which she instinctively knew was not a real option.

"I don't know. Are you?"

Hermione shrugged. "Maybe. Probably. I don't really know anymore. I think I spent too much time tempering my emotions, trying to be strong during the war, that I'm finding it hard to really express my grief now. I feel numb."

"Hmm. I figured you'd be into talking about your problems and all that," George said as he finally looked over at her.

"Is that because I'm a girl?" Hermione's eyes narrowed.

George laughed. "Not at all. I just remember how vocal you were when Fred and I…" he trailed off, looking stricken.

"You are allowed to remember him and smile you know," Hermione gently assured him. "And that's what the memorial today at Hogwarts is supposed to be. Not a funeral service to say goodbye but a time and a place to get together and remember all the good things about the people we lost."

George sighed. "But remembering all that good times will make everyone sad again. Whoever planned this memorial just wants us all to feel mental, don't they?"

"Maybe but I still think we should go even though we'll laugh until we cry or cry until we laugh. Now what'll it take to get you to shower and get dressed in clean clothes? I can pick out your outfit if you'd like," Hermione offered.

George slowly slunk off the bed, not stopping until he was inches away from the girl. "I'll take a shower but only if you take one with me," he teased.

Hermione froze as her mind raced. Sure she'd thought about him like that (he was smart, attractive and had a great sense of humor, three traits she really appreciated) but hadn't thought he'd ever return the favor. But she knew it was not a good time to start anything.

His hand slowly slid up from where he'd rested it on her wrist and she looked into his darkening eyes. "This is a very bad idea," Hermione murmured.

George removed his hands from where they'd finally settled against her waist after he'd trailed them up her arm and down her sides. "I should have known you'd say no but I had to try, right?"

Remembering the years old crush on the twins, a crush which had started when they'd been so nice and normal around Harry when everyone else had thought he was the heir of Slytherin, she stepped into the hall. She knew everyone else had already left so she slipped her panties out from under her skirt and tossed them back into the room.

"I didn't say no," she hollered as she reached the bathroom, leaving a trail of her clothes behind her.

**First Trimester**

Hermione had just pulled out the outfit she planned to wear to help rebuild Hogwarts, an activity she'd volunteered to do every day since the battle nearly eight weeks before, when the nausea hit.

She rushed to the bathroom and was surprised and grateful when she found it empty. Nearly all the Weasleys, plus her and Harry, had been living at the Burrow since the end of the war. Sure it was a tight fit but they were all so busy helping to right Voldemort's wrongs that the house was usually only a claustrophobic's nightmare late at night and in the early hours of the morning when memories of the war crept in and the company was welcome. Just not when one felt like they were about to lose all the contents in their stomach.

But once Hermione had slammed and locked the door behind her the vomit she had expected didn't come. She was just about to turn and leave, assuming the sick sensation was a fluke, when it hit again and she barely had time to lean over the toilet bowl.

Once it was all over she slid to the floor as her mind raced. She hadn't been sick to her stomach since she'd gotten food poisoning during her family's trip to France after her Second Year. None of the other Weasleys had gotten sick, at least not that she'd heard of, and with such close quarters and their shared meals she could only assume any sickness would have spread like wildfire.

"So if it's not an illness what could it be?" she muttered to herself, still sitting on the bathroom floor, afraid any movement would just make her sick again. "A prank by George but he hasn't been in the pranking mood since the war and her certainly wouldn't target me first. He hasn't even really spoken to me since…"

The memory of their shower time tryst (a one time and one time only event, thank you very much) brought on a whole slew of implications and Hermione became very friendly with the toilet bowl for a few more agonizing minutes. Once she was certain there was nothing left in her stomach to heave up she raced back to the room she shared with Ginny, determined to get to the bottom of her situation without any more bile making its way up her throat.

She snatched up her wand and then rushed back down the stairs, incredibly thankful that the house was empty (everyone was either at their regular jobs or doing their duty by helping to rebuild the various towns and buildings that had been damaged in the war. Hermione was only still at home because so many people had offered to help at Hogwarts that the volunteers had been asked to arrive in shifts).

She selected the most recent volume of "Madame Minskey's Guide to Common Ailments and Afflictions and How to Test for and Cure Them Yourself" and took it back to the bathroom with her. Then, just to be on the safe side, she locked the door using as many charms as she knew.

Hermione quickly found the index and then flipped to the correct page. "Well here goes," she whispered after reading through the passage a half dozen times. Then she lifted her shirt and waved her wand over her stomach while she recited the incantation.

She closed her eyes as the last word of the spell left her lips, hoping to delay what her mind was screaming was the inevitable answer to her nausea. But even that didn't prevent the shining blue light (an indication of a positive result not a gender specification) from piercing through her eyelids.

"Damn it," she muttered, slowly opening her eyes and watching the blue glow fade from her exposed stomach. "How did I not know? It's been seven weeks since…" she trailed off as she realized the sign, the most obvious one, had been there (or hadn't been there if you were being specific). Her "time of the month" had been erratic ever since she left on the Horcrux hunt with Harry and Ron, presumably due to stress and the inconsistent unhealthy meals that had led to a drastic loss of weight so it hadn't made her overly suspicious not to have had one since the battle.

Even though she was panicking on the inside Hermione knew that the best way for her to work through a problem was to actually work, be it physically or mentally, so instead of sitting around to worry she took a quick shower (even though she'd already had one before she'd gotten sick) and got ready for the day. Nothing was going to change until it had to.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Here's round two and as always, I do not own the characters, except for Gretchen!**

* * *

**First Trimester Continued**

Hermione sat on the end of her bed, smiling wryly as she watched Ginny rush around the room as she got ready for Harry's birthday party. Nearly everyone they knew from Hogwarts, classmates and professors, had been invited to a cookout in the Weasley's backyard. Ginny was determined for everyone to have a good time and Hermione was hopeful that George would enjoy himself enough not to make a scene when she finally told him the secret she'd been carrying for weeks.

When Ginny was distracted with her hair and makeup Hermione let her hand fall to the small swell of her stomach. So far the spring and summer had been cool enough for her to hide her condition with flowing sweaters and shirts gathered under her bust but at nearly twelve weeks her days of hiding her pregnancy without magic were dwindling (and that type of magic was never entirely safe on a fetus). That, combined with the record breaking heat predicted for the upcoming week, meant she had no choice but to finally tell George.

"Aren't you listening to me Hermione?"

Hermione quickly moved her hand from her stomach and smiled at her friend. "Sorry. You do look amazing Ginny. You're going to knock Harry's socks off."

Ginny grinned. "I think you're right. Now let's get out to the backyard."

The party was well under way and many of the guests were under the influence of quite a bit of Firewhiskey by the time Hermione was able to get George on his own. She was forced to accost him as he left the bathroom where their tryst had happened weeks before, a move that made it especially awkward.

"George, wait! We need to talk!" Hermione cried when the lone twin saw her and promptly turned to walk in the opposite direction.

"There's nothing to talk about Granger," he called over his shoulder.

Hermione slipped around him, forcing him to look at her. "Actually there is and I suggest we speak in private."

Instead of moving to a room with a door they could close for privacy George pushed Hermione up against the wall, framing her with his arms. "Did you come back for round two? I'm surprised it took so long since you seemed to enjoy it so much last time."

Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't bother to be offended. George had been a right arse ever since Fred's passing and Mrs. Weasley's coddling ("oh it's okay that you smashed all the dishes and swore at me, you've had a rough couple of months and you need to let it all out") and the Firewhiskey she could smell on his breath weren't helping.

"You know what? Maybe we should just wait and talk about this another time," she finally decided, slipping out from under his arm and turning to go back out to the party.

"Maybe you shouldn't plan on that," George suddenly called out just as Hermione reached the end of the hall. He waited to see if she'd turn and face him and when she didn't he plowed right ahead. "I mean that day in the shower was great and all but I think we both know it only happened because we were in a bad place at the time. I don't want any commitment right now so let's just be friends and leave it at that, okay?"

"Sure, friends," Hermione nodded in agreement, her heart pounding. She was completely lost, drowning in a sea of emotions and more than anything in the world she wanted the guidance of her mother. Her mom would know how she should tell him about the pregnancy even after he said their hook up was a mistake and he didn't want a commitment.

She spun on her heel, about to tell him that the conversation had not been about any misguided attempts to start what would surely be a doomed relationship (two broken souls, one a scholar at heart and the other a prankster) but he was already gone.

Taking a deep breath Hermione made another momentous decision and she rushed up to her bedroom before anyone could see her and convince her to change her mind. Nearly twenty minutes later she Apparated herself out of the Burrow leaving nothing but a vaguely detailed note behind.

* * *

Hermione bounced on her heels as she pressed the buzzer for what felt like the hundredth time. The closed sign on the café lit up the dark night but she knew there was a flat above it, a flat if she weren't mistaken, was home to her cousin Gretchen. At least it had been when she'd visited the area of Muggle London a few summers before.

Her school trunk was pressed up against her legs (she'd had to use the spell to unshrink it and then hide her wand inside since Gretchen didn't know about the wizarding world).

She was just about to turn around and leave when the door slammed open and Gretchen appeared, her hair even messier than Hermione's was when she stood over a boiling Potions cauldron. Gretchen opened her mouth to yell then she realized exactly who was standing at her door in the middle of the night. "Hermione, what are you doing here? What's wrong?"

Hermione threw herself into her cousin's arms. "I just didn't know where else to go!" she cried.

When lightning flashed and the rain started pouring down Gretchen quickly pulled Hermione into the building and then stepped back out to grab her luggage. "Come inside and get warm. You can tell me what brought you to my door after a cup of hot cocoa and a few hours of sleep."

Within minutes of dragging Hermione and her trunk up the stairs Gretchen was warming the milk and chocolate on the stove even though Hermione had insisted it wasn't necessary.

"Don't worry about it. Just put your things in the spare room, put on some jammies and by then the cocoa should be ready," Gretchen instructed as she buzzed around the kitchen.

Hermione did as she was told, wincing when she slipped on the soft knit capris she'd been wearing to bed lately. Even with the elastic band they were dangerously close to being too tight for comfort. She'd need to buy new things, bigger things, soon enough.

"Or…" she thought of the wand she'd carefully tucked into the bottom of her trunk but she quickly dismissed the idea. Gretchen would get suspicious if Hermione kept putting on weight but never bought new clothes. So she left the wand where it was hidden, vowing to leave it there no matter what. She'd left her friends and the magical world behind so she may as well live like a Muggle.

When she stepped back into the living room Gretchen handed her a mug of cocoa with little marshmallows on top. "Go ahead and sit on the couch. We may as well talk it out right now or I'll stay up all night worrying about you. I don't think I've seen you this upset, not even at the funeral."

"I was too numb to look upset then," Hermione explained. "It was a rough week, the roughest of my life. There was a…gas leak at my school that week and an explosion. Many of my friends were injured and some were even killed. Then I found out my parents died in that accident while they were on vacation. And I lost my virginity."

Gretchen's tone was stiff when she finally responded. "That last one shouldn't have really made the week worse unless you were…" she trailed off in concern.

"No! No, I wasn't raped," Hermione assured. "It was just a spur of the moment bad decision that led me here because he told me he didn't want a commitment. And a baby is about the biggest commitment there is."

Gretchen's mouth fell open. "You're here because you're pregnant?"

"Yes. I didn't know where else to go," Hermione wailed, assuming her cousin was about to kick her out. "What I really wanted was my mum and aunt Lydia's too far away so I figured you were the next best thing."

"Oh honey," Gretchen cooed, sliding off her chair and joining Hermione on the couch. "I was just surprised is all. I'm not about to kick you out. I know how important family can be at a time like this."

The two girls shared a sad smile clearly remembering the same summer, the summer after Hermione's third year, when Gretchen had been temporarily kicked out when her mother found out her daughter had a girlfriend. The Grangers had taken her in for the few weeks it took Gretchen's family to open up to the fact that their daughter was, very decidedly, a lesbian.

"So how are Uncle Paul and Aunt Lydia?" Hermione asked when the silence started to feel too heavy.

"They're good. Tori and I just had lunch with them a few weeks ago but stop changing the subject. What about you? What are you going to do?"

Hermione sighed, her hand falling to the barely discernible swell of her stomach, which only showed because her t-shirt wasn't high-waisted and she wasn't covered up by a robe like she'd been doing while at the Weasleys. "I was hoping I could stay here with you. Not for free or anything. I'll get a job as soon as possible and start paying rent."

Gretchen rolled her eyes. "If you're going to live with me you might as well work with me too. We have a girl leaving for uni in a few weeks and I'd have to replace her anyways."

"But I know nothing about making fancy coffee and drinks!" Hermione cried.

"You can learn that easily enough. And the shop doesn't just sell coffee, we also sell books and baked goods. I know you can bake a mean chocolate walnut cookie and you're the most bookish person I know."

Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes and she reached out to pull her cousin into a hug. "Thank you so much. And I have no reason why I'm crying so don't mind me," she sobbed.

"That would be the pregnancy hormones I bet," Gretchen said with a wry smile. "Now we both need to get our butts to bed. I'm giving you two days to relax, get settled in, find a doctor or whatever and then I'm putting you to work."

Hermione tearfully agreed to the instructions.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thanks to those of you that have read/followed this story or me! I love getting emails telling me readers like my work! No onto the story where I own a few plot points and Gretchen but Rowling owns the rest!**

* * *

**Second Trimester**

Hermione had been working at A Cup of Books for nearly four months. The day had started out normally enough with her rising before the sun to make fresh batches of cookies for the shop, a task she didn't mind since movement seemed to keep any signs of morning sickness away.

After a few hours at the desk where the books and baked goods were purchased (someone else was on drink duty for the morning) she took her early lunch and a book to the last table left, a table right next to the floor to ceiling windows at the front of the shop.

Hermione was already finished with her sandwich and was more than halfway through her bag of crisps when she heard the screech of surprise. She was so engrossed in her book, a battered copy of the mommy-to-be classic, "What to Expect When You're Expecting", that she didn't realize what the screech meant until it was too late.

"It is her! I told you so Neville," the blonde girl said as she sidled up to the bookshelf in front of Hermione, looking for all the world like she was talking to the shelves and not to the boy trailing behind her.

Hermione nearly choked on a crisp (salt and vinegar, the newest craving) when she realized what she was seeing. She quickly slammed the book down so they couldn't see the title and then laughed at her move. Even Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom wouldn't need a book to tell them what her abdomen would show them. _Unless I make sure they don't see_ she thought as she wedged herself even further under the table, hoping to obscure their view of her lower half.

"Hey guys! What are you doing here?" Hermione put on a happy smile to try and compensate for the complete awkwardness of the situation.

Neville pulled out the chair across from her and sat down when it became clear Luna wasn't going to; she was too busy wandering around the café and looking at everything in awe. "Seventh and Eighth Years are allowed to Apparate to any known Apparation point on weekends. They want us to mingle with Muggles and get travel experience. But the important question is what are you doing here?"

Hermione kept her eyes on Luna, hoping that the other girl really could be discrete. "I had to get away Neville. My parents…" she hesitated, knowing that Harry would be hurt and blame himself if her excuse got back to him. "If it weren't for me being a witch and going to Hogwarts I'd still have my family. I couldn't face going back to Hogwarts knowing that."

"We all have guilt of some kind you know," Luna said as she finally approached the table and pulled up a chair. "My father still has nightmares about the day he told the Death Eaters you were at the house."

"He only did that to save your life!"

Neville arched an eyebrow at Hermione's vehemence. "And you being born a witch and Voldemort returning were all out of your control. We all know you loved your parents, you still do, and they loved you too. You can't blame yourself for anything that psychopathic murderer or his followers did."

"I know," Hermione whispered as tears pricked her eyes. Until that moment she hadn't realized how much she really did blame herself for the death of her parents. "But I'm also not ready to return to that world. This is the world my parents belonged in. I feel closer to them here."

"Can you at least send a letter to Harry and Ron?" Luna asked. "They've been so worried about you."

Hermione frowned. "I did leave them a note the night I left. They knew I wanted to be with my family, that I was moving in with my cousin."

"I think they thought it was suspicious that you didn't say goodbye in person and didn't leave a forwarding address," Neville gently admonished.

Neville and Luna nodded and then spent a few more minutes in idle chatter before admitting that they needed to leave. And even when they were out of sight, even though her lunch break was long over, Hermione continued to sit.

Gretchen gently put her hand on her cousin's shoulder. "Friends of yours from school?"

"Yes," Hermione muttered before taking a deep breath and steeling herself for a few more hours of work. "I'm sorry I didn't make it back from lunch on time. I know you're meeting Tori and I made you late."

"I can always cancel if you need me to cover. I'm sure that was emotional, especially considering all that," Gretchen gestured to the baby bump that was exposed when Hermione slid her chair away from the table.

"No, I'd rather work. It helps me think." _And boy do I have plenty to think about. _But as she stirred the brownie batter her two biggest hopes were that Neville and Luna would keep their word and that they though she had just been lunching at the café and hadn't realized she worked there.

The other shoe dropped nearly two weeks after Luna and Neville's unexpected appearance at the café. Long enough for her very vague letter, sent by Muggle post, to have arrived at the Burrow. Long enough for Hermione to hope her visitors hadn't said a word. Long enough for her to stop worrying that a familiar witch or wizard would walk through the door.

So of course on one bright and summery morning after a successfully executed new recipe all her hopes were dashed when Harry Potter stepped through the door.

At first Hermione didn't notice him, she was too busy restocking the display case with lemon-lavender cupcakes. But then he cleared his throat and even from across the room she recognized the sound.

Gretchen was by her side in seconds, recognizing the stunned look on her face from the last time there had been unexpected visitors. "You can take your lunch right now and go upstairs to eat it if you'd like," she offered.

Hermione nodded and whipped her apron off and her stomach dropped at the sight of her belly. In her shock she'd forgotten that there was a very obvious physical sign of why she'd left and without magic or a table to hide behind Harry would know exactly what was going on before she could really explain it to him.

So she took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the counter. "There's a flat upstairs where we can talk in private," she murmured before he could speak through his shock.

He nodded and silently followed her up the stairs. The moment the door shut behind them he pulled her into his arms. "I couldn't believe it when Neville told us he saw you but he didn't mention your condition! How far along are you? Is this why you left? Why didn't you just tell us?"

Hermione reluctantly slid out of his embrace and guided him to the living room couch. "I'm about six months along. Sort of. And it's a long story." She smiled as Harry struggled through the answers, mentally linking them to each question he'd asked.

"Six months…so you got pregnant right around the final battle?" Harry asked. His face turned ashen when she nodded. "Tell me the truth Hermione. Did it happen when we were at Malfoy Manor and Ron and I were in the dungeon? Did someone force themselves on you then?"

"Merlin no," Hermione protested in surprise. "It's far less violent and far more complicated than that."

Harry slid closer and took her hands in his. "Does this bloke know you're pregnant?"

Hermione sighed. "No, he doesn't. I wanted to tell him, I planned to tell him but then he said something awful and I couldn't handle it. Not after the war and my parents…"

Harry let go of her hands and started pacing the living room floor. "I understand where you're coming from Hermione, I do, but you have to tell this guy the truth. I might say otherwise if it was someone abusive or harmful but with the timing of when you left I'm assuming he was a guest at my birthday party. There were some pigheaded blokes there but no real tossers so I'm sure whoever he is deserves to know."

"I will tell him before the baby is born," Hermione said, cupping the swell of her belly with both hands. "I knew I'd have to eventually since the baby is likely to be magical. I can't say no to sending my child to Hogwarts when the time comes so the secret would come out then if not before. Just let me decide when to come back, okay Harry?"

"I will," Harry agreed. "But until you're back I'd like to visit you every so often. The brightest witch of our age won't be able to live up to her name if she misses out on all the gossip."

Hermione laughed in relief, glad that Harry had let her off the hook and wasn't prying, at least for the time being. "I'm off on Thursdays and Sundays and I live here with my cousin so if you come to the café downstairs they can let me know."

"I think it's funny you work in a place that serves food since I had to do most of the cooking during our year long camping trip," Harry teased as they stood up to leave.

"I just bake and sell the books," Hermione admitted as they slowly walked down the stairs. Her increasingly wider belly was making the descent harder and harder to navigate. "We couldn't have survived on cookies and cake even if I could have found fresh eggs and milk at the time."

Harry laughed, a sound that haunted her dreams for days, reminding her that she'd made a promise and he'd expect her to keep it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: We're getting there, slowly but surely and more people are finding out about Hermione's condition! Let's see how she handles it!**

** Thank you to everyone who has enjoyed this story so far and as always, most of the character's belong to JK Rowling!**

* * *

**Third Trimester**

Christmas and New Years had passed and Harry had visited her once a week every week and with less than two months left until her due date she knew she was dangerously close to running out of time.

She could tell that Harry was getting frustrated because she had yet to fulfill her promise of returning but every time she thought she was ready she'd picture the look of pity and amusement that had crossed George's face when he'd thought she wanted to start up a relationship after their tryst. She didn't want him to look at her like that ever again.

Hermione was thinking of it, imagining the hundreds of ways a meeting with the Weasleys could go wrong (would they try to take the baby away? would George get violent?) as she kneaded the dough of the chocolate chip bread she was making for the shop. The café had just opened and Hermione was alone in the kitchen while someone else manned the desk where orders were placed. Weekday mornings were busy but weekends were not.

She was busily humming away when the bell above the door chimed for the first time that morning. She planned to do what she usually did, ignore it in lieu of making sure her foods were baked to perfection unless otherwise commanded, but then the worker at the counter shouted her name.

"Hermione, you've got another visitor!"

Hermione quickly washed her hands in the sink, all the while assuming that her visitor was Harry Potter since he was the only person who stopped by to see her (aside from that awkward encounter with Luna and Neville).

"You were just here yesterday Harry. What's_—__" she broke off as she pushed open the half door between the kitchens and the rest of the shop and found that Harry was not the one waiting for her on the other side. _

_"Ginny!" she squeaked in surprise._

_Ginny's eyes grew wide as she took in Hermione's figure, far softer and rounded now that she'd reached her final trimester. "I followed _Harry here yesterday to see who he'd been meeting all these months and I saw your face but I didn't see…well you look ready to pop!"

Hermione took a few steps closer so they wouldn't have to speak too loudly but she was uneasy. Maybe because Ginny's red hair just screamed "Weasley" and maybe because she was afraid her best girl friend, who had been far too aware of Hermione's childhood crush on George, would take one more look at her and know the truth of the situation. "Well hopefully there's no popping for at least another month," she finally responded.

"So this is why you left." Ginny crossed her arms over her chest and gave Hermione an appraising look. "Is Harry the father? Is that why you ran away and why he's visiting you?"

Hermione gasped in surprise. "Of course not! Neville and Luna found me first, months ago, and Harry found out from there and started visiting. He only really does it so he can keep telling me to return with him. I want to and I will but it'll be awkward and painful and I keep putting it off."

Ginny was quiet for a few minutes before responding. "We all meet at the Burrow for dinner Sunday nights. You should join us."

"I really don't think that's a good idea," Hermione said as she toyed with the edge of her flowery apron. She definitely didn't want to face all the Weasleys at once, especially with no warning to George beforehand.

The two women stared at one another and then Ginny reached out and pulled Hermione into a hug. "I'm not certain which brother it was but I have my suspicions. Buck up, it's time for my niece or nephew to be around the rest of the family," the red head whispered in her ear before turning around and stalking out the door.

Hermione gaped as Ginny disappeared from view, her heart pounding. Ginny knew! Not everything but enough for Hermione to know the red head would send the Weasley matriarch after her if she didn't return before the baby was born. There was only one thing left to do and that was to tell Gretchen she was returning to her old life.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Okay everyone, we have finally reached the chapter where the secret comes out! One chapter left after this, one filled with an epilogue that lasts several years. Enjoy and thank JK Rowling for her genius in designing characters that are so fun to toy with! **

* * *

Hermione ran her hands through her hair and paced (well at least as much as one could pace in a broom shed). She'd taken the Knight Bus from her cousin's house to the end of the road the Burrow was on but when she'd seen the building all lit up she'd panicked and used her wand to break into the Weasley's shed.

Her luggage was Shrunk and tucked into her pockets, her instincts telling her she'd end up being invited to stay overnight if things went smoothly in regards to her pregnancy announcement or at Grimmauld Place with Harry if it did not.

After a few deep calming breaths Hermione slowly walked to the Burrow's front door but instead of walking right in like she used to, she knocked.

Several things happened very quickly after her knock. The door slammed open and Mrs. Weasley shrieked then pulled her into her arms. It took a few seconds for Hermione's condition to register but when it did Mrs. Weasley pulled back in surprise and stared down. "Oh. It appears we have quite a bit to discuss, don't we?"

Hermione bit her lower lip and hesitated when the older woman tried to guide her into the house. "Can we not discuss that just yet? I'd like to have a chance to tell the father first. He doesn't exactly know he is the father."

She knew there was a chance George would be at dinner and that he wouldn't appreciate being accosted in front of his family but she'd run out of options. She'd written him several letters and found a wizarding courier the same night Ginny had left but George hadn't responded to her request to meet. And she couldn't exactly Apparate or Floo to Weasley Wizarding Wheezes to try and find him (neither option was safe considering how far into her pregnancy she was).

She barely heard Mrs. Weasley gasp in surprise at the admission (no doubt wondering how good girl Hermione had fallen from grace so quickly) but she guided her into the dining room and ushered her into a seat regardless.

When each new familiar face swept into the room the same scene played out. They would express surprise at Hermione's sudden reappearance, she'd awkwardly push herself out of her chair to greet said person with a hug or a handshake, and then they would stare at her stomach in shock but very pointedly not mention it. Except for Harry and Ginny who didn't express any shock at all and Ron who kept trying to question her but kept getting elbowed by the pair. She could only imagine the thoughts running through his head (after all he had been the last person she'd kissed before George but after the war they'd decided not to pursue a relationship).

The food was served and Hermione was about to breathe a sigh of relief when George rushed through the door. "Sorry mum. Verity was late so I had to cover a bit of her shift."

He was halfway to the only empty seat, directly across from Hermione, when he realized she was there. "Bloody hell," he whispered as a whole slew of emotions flickered across his face. But then his features smoothed over and he took his seat. "So what brought you back?"

"Ginny convinced me it was for the best," Hermione said, not wanting to lie but also not wanting to surprise him with a pregnancy announcement right at the dinner table. She could only hope that the rest of the Weasleys would be couth enough not to mention it until Hermione herself did.

But it didn't at all happen like she was hoping it would.

She was just finishing the last bite of her very generous helping of trifle, knowing that she needed to swallow and ask George for a private discussion, when Charlie's voice boomed loud enough for everyone to hear. "I bet you five Galleons that Hermione will pop before Fleur does!"

The table fell silent and Charlie shot Hermione an apologetic look. "That may have been insensitive Hermione. I'm not calling you fat or anything obviously since you're supposed to have gained weight because of the baby. I'm just guessing you're farther along than Fleur."

It took a few beats but then it became obvious that the words had registered in George's mind when he sputtered and a bite of half chewed trifle landed in the middle of the table. "Hermione's pregnant?" he finally managed to screech out as he stared at Hermione's beet red face.

Ginny gasped as she looked back and forth between her red haired brother and her red faced friend. "I knew it!"

"What are you shouting about, Ginny dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she walked back into the dining room with a tray of sorbet in small glasses. She'd left the table before Charlie had brought up the idea of a bet.

George stood up so quickly that his chair tipped back onto the floor. At first his face was white as a sheet but then he flushed in anger. "Why didn't…never mind, I don't really care." Then he tried to turn on his heel, clearly attempting to Apparate but Hermione froze him with a jinx before he could complete the turn.

"No, you are not running away from this!"

When she undid the spell George nearly fell but used the table to steady himself. "Oh so you can run away but I can't? That's rich!"

"I only left because you'd already told me you didn't want a commitment and that you wanted me to leave you alone and that was before you even let me say a word about this baby!" Hermione shrieked.

Mrs. Weasley gasped as she realized the implication of Hermione's words. "George Fabian Weasley! Did you get Hermione pregnant?" she shouted.

George threw his hands up in the air. "Apparently so!"

Hermione blushed once she'd calmed down enough to see that almost all of the Weasleys were staring at her with their mouths gaping open. "Maybe we should talk about this in private," she suggested, wincing at how much her words echoed those she'd uttered months before but there was no denying that they had to talk, even if he rebuffed her again.

"Yeah let's go out in the yard," he finally answered.

They walked outside in silence, muttering heating charms to ward off the late winter chill. They didn't speak until they'd cleared the snow off the porch swing next to the small garage where the Ford Anglia had been stored before it had made its escape into the Forbidden Forest.

"Why…why did you choose to keep it?" George finally asked. "There are ways…"

Hermione rested her hand on the swell of her belly, smiling when she felt a kick or a punch. The baby had moved before of course but never so much as he or she had since they'd reached the Burrow. 'I thought about ending the pregnancy," she admitted. "I knew I could easily brew the potion myself but after all the war and the death I just couldn't. And I know I could find someone to adopt the baby but I don't think I could do that either."

Suddenly George put his hand on her knee and she turned to face him in surprise. "I'm glad. If you told me before when ending it had been an option my first instinct would have been to suggest it but I would have regretted it. The war, Fred, that all changed my views on lots of things."

"So how are we going to do this?" Hermione quietly asked. She already knew she'd be moving back to a wizarding friendly location and thanks to the inheritance her parents had left her she had enough money to wait and find a job after the baby was born. The only reason she'd been working at her cousin's shop was because she hadn't wanted to use her parent's money until she had to.

"I'd like to be a part of this child's life," George finally whispered. "And the shop is doing really well, bringing in quite a bit of money, and since I'm a manager I can always take time off."

"I want you to be in the baby's life. You're the father even if you and I aren't together." Hermione took a deep breath. "And I am sorry I didn't tell you sooner. This…this is big and important and I should have told you no matter how awkward it was. But you didn't make it easy."

"And I shouldn't have been such an arse in the first place. We're both adults and I should've realized something was bothering you. Even if you had wanted a relationship I shouldn't have blown you off like that. It was rude."

They sat in companionable silence for a few seconds before George suddenly laughed out loud. "Will you be wanting to move back to a more wizard friendly location?" he asked when she looked at him in surprise.

"Yes," Hermione answered. Although Muggleborn children, herself included, were usually fine going to Muggle doctors it would be nice to have easy access to St. Mungos. And Mrs. Weasley would never forgive her if she took her grandbaby to a place that couldn't Flooed or Apparated into (or at least outside the front door).

"Well I just overheard the owner of Flourish and Blotts saying that the flat behind their shop was ready to be rented out. Their daughter got married and moved out last month."

Hermione smiled. "That sounds perfect."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Hey, I had a review request expressing sadness that this was the last chapter and so if you agree with her then you are in luck! I actually have enough for this chapter and then another one after it! Yay, right? Now the time line is going to get a little faster, with brief snapshots. You'll see what I mean. And I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

**Birthday**

"Thank you for being here with me today." George held his glass up for a toast. "This birthday…well I needed you guys today more than ever."

Mrs. Weasley had tears in her eyes but she was still smiling when she jumped up and kissed George on the cheek. The first of April had fallen on a Saturday and the entire Weasley family, including any significant others, were spending the entire day together to celebrate and to honor the memory of Fred.

A very heavily pregnant Fleur had just handed a slice of cake to the even more heavily pregnant Hermione when the contraction hit. Hermione's grip tightened so hard that the plate cracked.

If it hadn't been for the toast no one else would have noticed but in the quiet of the solemn moment they did. "Was that what I think it was?" George asked, his face white as a sheet.

"I went to St. Mungos a few days ago because I kept getting these cramps and pains." Hermione waved away their concerns when several of the Weasleys admonished her for not having told them. "The Healers told me it was false labor."

"Is that what this is?" George asked.

Hermione was about to nod when the pain started in her back and raced across her abdomen. "Actually I don't think it is," she gasped.

George dropped his glass and raced around the table, stilling when Hermione suddenly laughed. "What? What is it?"

"There's a chance you're going to end up sharing your birthday again. These contractions are real. And my water just broke."

The next contraction hit and Hermione was so busy focusing on the pain that she missed the smile bloom across George's face.

* * *

**One Day Old**

They heard the first cry just minutes before midnight. "It's a boy!" the Healer cried.

Seconds later the baby was laid on Hermione's chest as the Healers started the necessary post delivery spells to prevent infection and so forth.

George hesitated but gently brushed a finger along the baby's cheek. "He's perfect."

"He is," Hermione agreed then seconds later she gasped. "We never agreed on names!"

She'd only been back in the wizarding world for a few very busy weeks and while they'd flung around a few ideas, mostly when they'd helped each other decorate the nurseries (one at each of their flats) they hadn't agreed on a single name.

"Can we..." George hesitated but then took a deep breath and carried on. "Can we name him after Fred?"

Hermione's eyes immediately welled up at the pain, hope, and apprehension in George's voice. "I thought about that but I wasn't sure…I thought maybe you'd want to save that for when you're in a real relationship," she finally said.

The conversation was halted for a few minutes as the Healers finished the charms on the baby and Hermione to make sure they were both okay and to help Hermione heal (no stitches in the wizarding world if a charm would do!)

Then George ducked down to look Hermione in the eyes. "I know you and I aren't…but we are friends and this is our first born. I just thought, since he was conceived not long after we lost Fred and what with him being born yesterday, that maybe it was a sign."

Hermione stared down at her son, his soft down hair already showing up dark red as it dried. "Fred Joseph Granger Weasley," she declared. "Joseph was my father's name. It seems only fitting."

"It's perfect," George murmured.

* * *

**8 Months **

Hermione was putting finishing touches on her Christmas tree when she saw it. She spun on her heels and watched closer as Freddie crawled from his play mat next to the couch and over to the box of ornaments. In a flash she picked him up so he wouldn't hurt himself, sat him in his swing, and then rushed over to the fireplace to use the Floo network.

Once she was on her knees and made the connection she hollered what had become a very common refrain. "George, you have to come see this!"

Minutes later he Apparated into the front hall in response to her call even though he'd been at work. Fortunately his employees were very understanding and knew he'd be leaving the shop when the bell that was attached to his Floo-linked fireplace would chime. "What happened this time? Is our little Freddie talking?"

Hermione pulled Freddie out of his swing and plopped him onto the floor. "Pick up one of the shiny ornaments and wave it around and see."

George chose a red and gold striped bulb (very Gryffindor) and waved it around as he crouched down.

It didn't take long for the little one to notice it and once he did he was off, crawling like a champ.

"Hey look, that's a real crawl, not a slither or a scoot!" George cheered, picking Freddie up as soon as he got close enough to. Then the boys sat on the couch with Hermione.

"I've been thinking…" Hermione quietly said but then fell silent before she finished her thought.

"Well that's a surprise," George teased as he tickled Freddie's chubby knees.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "All these new things with Freddie that'll be happening in the next few months…first words, walking. I don't want either of us to miss them if it can be helped. So maybe we should live together again."

They had both lived in Hermione's flat for the first three months of Freddie's life, George worked either days or evenings while Hermione was with the baby and he would always stop by during his lunches to give the new mother a much needed nap. Hermione spent her free time applying to jobs she could start once Freddie was a bit older and then one had fallen into her lap courtesy of a run in with Minerva McGonagall in Diagon Alley.

So now Hermione was a Transfiguration apprentice, training to take over her old professor's classes the following school year. With George's flexible schedule, his extended family and other trusted professors it was easy to find good child care while both parents worked.

But one thing that hadn't been working was the living arrangement now that they had moved back into their own flats. Though they would spend hours at each other's places so they could both spend time with their son it seemed like all the big things (the first smiles, the first rolls onto the tummy) always happened right after one of them went home for the night.

"You'd really want to do that?" George interrupted her musings. "Wouldn't that be a little awkward?"

"Of course it will be," Hermione admitted. "But we wouldn't be doing it for us, we'd be doing it for him."

The both looked at Freddie who was using George's hands for leverage as he lifted himself up and down, bouncing on George's lap.

"We'd have to set up some ground rules," George finally responded.

"Just simple ones really. No bringing dates around Freddie unless we've already discussed it and the relationship is very serious, like marriage may be in the future serious. And no overnights with Freddie in the house," Hermione dictated.

George turned to look at her in surprise. "Marriage?"

"I don't plan on dating for awhile, I don't have the time for it. But someday one of us will find someone. I suggest we not worry about it until it happens," she said as she smiled over at the scene. Freddie had given up on jumping around and had curled up on George's chest, already fast asleep. The glow of the Christmas tree's fairy lights made the red in both boys hair shine like fire.

And when George held out his other arm, the one not supporting Freddie, she didn't even hesitate to slide under it. They woke up in the same position hours later and the next morning George moved back in.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: The end is here! And boy is it bittersweet. I absolutely adore this story and wish I had inspiration to do more with it but I just don't. I hope you like it as much as I do!**

* * *

**One Year Old**

George had just put the cake on the kitchen table and Hermione had dimmed the lights so the birthday candles would shine when it happened.

Mrs. Weasley was leading Freddie into the room, walking behind him with his hands in hers. Then little Victorie Weasley, Bill and Fleur's daughter, speed crawled up beside the birthday boy and growled. (The family could only assume it was a habit picked up from Bill who, thanks to Greyback's attack, enjoyed nearly raw meat and got a little growly during the full moon or when someone got too close to Fleur or their little girl).

But the growls terrified Freddie and he let go of Mrs. Weasley's hands and he didn't just walk, he ran to George and Hermione. He didn't stop until he landed between their feet and then the tears started, but the tears didn't belong to the birthday boy alone.

"My baby isn't a little baby anymore!" Hermione cried as she fell to the floor and scooped Freddie into her arms. The boy had just taken his first steps on his own.

George immediately dropped to the ground beside them and without even thinking about it he rained kisses on both their faces in an attempt to cheer them up.

They were so involved with one another that they didn't notice the rest of the family share sly smiles.

* * *

**2 ½ Years Old**

Everyone was piled into the Burrow for Christmas and even though they were in tight quarters Hermione and George tried not to touch.

Their relationship had been interesting ever since Freddie's first birthday when George's affectionate response towards Hermione had made them wonder if a real relationship would be possible. But every time they tried to enjoy a date they just couldn't do it because they were worried. What would happen if a romantic relationship started and then fell apart?

But then it was time to open presents and Hermione and George remembered that Freddie's new tricycle was still hidden in the pantry and they both stood up to get it at the same time. Three steps later and they paused when Freddie shrieked.

"Mummy! Daddy! Kiss!" he cried over and over again as he pointed at a spot above their heads.

Hermione and George looked up and realized they had forgotten about the mistletoe. The mistletoe Hermione had just told her son about when they'd crossed into the room earlier in the day. She'd dropped dozens of kisses to his forehead and cheeks as she'd explained the tradition behind it.

Her gaze met George's and they stared at one another for several seconds, each knowing that the rest of the Weasley clan was staring but not caring all the same. Then George pulled her to him and kissed her like he hadn't since the night their son was conceived, the night they'd been high on life and death. Only this time the kiss was for all the right reasons.

* * *

**Five Years Old**

They'd asked Freddie several times if this was okay and he always responded the same way, that he'd love it if his mummy and daddy got married on his birthday. So there Hermione was, on the first of April, getting ready for her big day with the help of Mrs. Weasley, Ginny Potter, and Luna Longbottom.

Hermione nearly cried when they pulled her dress out of the garment bag. Magic had turned her mother's outdated poufy gown into a sleek thing of beauty with a drop waist and sheer cap sleeves created from the gauzy chapel length train Hermione hadn't wanted, knowing tiny feet would step all over it if she kept it.

She pulled it on very carefully and then turned so that Ginny could zip up the back but the red head's inhalation of breath and the tug at her back sent the bride's heart pounding. "What is it? What's wrong?" Hermione asked as she met her best friend's eyes in the mirror.

Ginny bit her lip before she finally responded. "The zipper won't go up all the way," she whispered.

The other two women tried before they admitted defeat and Mrs. Weasley pulled out her wand for some last minute magical alterations. "We should get a refund from that seamstress," the Weasley matriarch muttered as she worked. "You were just measured last month."

Hermione flushed and her hands dropped down to her belly and then fell to her sides just as fast. But the glint in Luna's eyes proved that the blonde had seen the movement.

"Hermione, are you preg-"

"Don't! Don't say the word!" Hermione interrupted as all the women looked at her in surprise. "I just found out this morning and I haven't told George yet." He'd slept at the Burrow the night before on order of his mother who didn't think they should see one another at all before the ceremony. Being alone had made Hermione wonder if her tiredness and nausea hadn't just been wedding related stress and so she'd cast the charm.

"Maybe you should tell George before the ceremony," Luna finally suggested after quite a few seconds of tense silence. "I mean it didn't really go over well when he found out last time."

Hermione's face went nearly as white as her dress. "You don't think he'd call off the wedding if he knew, do you?"

Her friends shared a look and Hermione's heart pounded until Mrs. Weasley responded. "Of course not dear but I think he'd rather know sooner than later. We can have him come up here and talk to you from the other side of the door so he won't see you."

"Okay. Okay, yes," Hermione said and tried to smile. The girls walked out of the room and she paced until there was a light knock on the door.

"Hermione, is there something wrong?" George called.

She slid over to the door and opened it just enough to slide her hand out to him. He clasped it in his own and Hermione couldn't stop a tear from falling even though she knew it would make her face splotchy.

"I…I have something to tell you," she whispered.

The grip on her hand only increased. "You're not breaking up with me, are you?"

Hermione laughed at the absurdity of the question. "No. It's just that I found out something this morning and I want you to know before the ceremony in case…well it didn't go over well last time," she echoed Luna.

Her heart started to break when he dropped her hand but then she heard a whispered spell. "Get your wand and use a spell to cover your dress."

Hermione quickly did as she was told. "Okay, I ˗"

George barreled through the door and had his arms around her before she could finish her sentence. He gently tilted her face to look up at him. "Hermione Granger, are you trying to tell me that you're pregnant?"

She nodded and George smiled and hugged her even tighter. "I thought when Fred died I'd never have a happy birthday again but you've proven me wrong. Twice. I love you and I love this baby already."

Their lips were centimeters from touching when a small someone slammed into their legs. When they looked down Freddie was smiling up at them. "A baby? We're having a baby?"

When Hermione and George nodded Freddie clapped his hands in joy and confetti burst from the ceiling.

Hermione and Freddie's eyes went wide. "Our son is definitely a wizard!" she squealed. The confetti burst was the first proof that the little boy was magical.

George sighed in contentment. "A very happy birthday indeed. Now let's get married!"


End file.
